Understanding Her Passion
by Aquen
Summary: She loved it, though no one else cared to even wonder why. But then he had to ask...


_Hmmm... this idea just kind of came to me today, and I've been wanting to write another fic for this couple so..._

_Anyway, takes place somewhere after chapter 42 and before Amu finds out about Nagi being Nade_

**_Spoilers:_**_Whenever you find out Nagi's secret... when he's introduced_

**_Disclaimer__:_**_I do not own Shugo Chara!_

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><p>Rima loved gag manga. Her bookshelves were stuffed full with the best gag manga she could find. The paperback books were stuffed into the shelves and overflowed onto her bed, the floor, her closet. She loved them, absolutely adored them, and would spend all her free time reading her favorites over and over again.<p>

Her parents did not approve, but were to busy to notice when she bought another book with her allowance. They just shook their head when she was found pouring over the pages then returned to the more important task of their work.

Few people knew of her hidden passion, only her parents and the Guardians. So when it ended up that all the Guardian's were running late for the meeting Rima immediately took out the latest copy of her favorite gag manga and began to read.

Kusukusu hovered around her head, reading along with Rima, laughing along with Rima, enjoying the manga as much as Rima. Kusukusu understood Rima's love for comedy the best, no one else did.

"Your laugh is cute."

Rima's laugh abruptly stopped at the off hand comment. She stuffed the manga back into her bag, the edges folding unnaturally. She turned, frown plastered on her face, cheeks heated in embarrassment.

It was _him._

Nagihiko walked innocently up to the table, bag slung over one shoulder, Rhythm and Temari floating beside him. At her glare his pace slowed and the pleasant smile slowly turned into a wary one. "W-what?"

Rima gave a little 'hmph' and turned back away from him, facing forward, her back ramrod straight. "You'll be a player when you grow up."

"Eh!"

Kusukusu and Rhythm chuckled together.

"It was just a compliment!" Nagihiko tried to smooth things over, but Rima just continued to sit with perfect posture and ignored him. Nagihiko gave a little sigh, slipping the back from his shoulder and placing it on the ground beside Rima.

Rima glanced sideways at him as he pulled out the chair beside her. He didn't plan to sit there… did he?

He did.

Rima fastened her eyes straight forward at one of the plants and tried to ignore Nagihiko. She could feel his presence beside her, the feeling of him there made her uncomfortable. Couldn't someone else have come instead of him?

Rima glanced down at the manga stuffed unceremoniously into her bag; the urge to bring it out was tempting…

"Amu-chan said that she'd be running late, she has to do some things for Nikaidou-sensei, I think Tadase-san is helping her out as well." Nagihiko explained the absent Guardians without any prompting. "And as for Yaya…"

Rima reached down and grabbed the manga without another thought. The other Guardian's would be late, much later, but the meeting was still on. Rima was _not_ going to sit there and have to talk with Nagihiko for that time. It would be better to read the manga and ignore the fact that Nagihiko was there all together, even if she was a bit embarrassed to let him hear her laugh.

Kusukusu eagerly floated up to Rima's shoulder, waiting as she paged through the manga to find the place the two had left off.

"Dude…" Rhythm whispered to Nagihiko, though Rima was quite sure he wanted her to hear as well. "She's ignoring you."

Rima buried her nose quite literally into the pages of the manga, trying to ignore Nagihiko even more. Her eyes skimmed over the pages, but she couldn't read, not with Nagihiko there, his presence was to distracting.

"What are you reading?"

Nagihiko didn't seem to be able to take a hint.

Rima glared at him over the edge of the manga, eyes fixed on his friendly face. Rhythm was shaking his head while Temari just held a hand to her lips.

"None of your business."

Rima got a quick glimpse of Nagihiko's shocked face before she turned back to her manga.

"What!" Kusukusu glanced between the shocked Nagihiko and the scowling Rima as Nagihiko continued. "Why are you giving me the cold shoulder?"

"What does it matter?"

"You're my friend!"

"I'm not friends with liars."

"But…" Rima peeked a glance over at Nagihiko. He was frowning, and seemed genuinely confused. "I thought we were friends…"

Rima quickly looked away. "Idiot," She muttered. "That was with Na-de-shi-ko, not with Na-gi-hi-ko." She made sure to pronounce each name carefully.

"Oh, in that case…." With her face nearly stuffed in the manga Rima couldn't see what Nagihiko was doing, but she could hear it. He was ruffling around in his bag, looking for something.

"Eh… Nagihiko?" Rhythm didn't seem pleased by what he was planning.

"There!" The voice was different, the masculinity gone, it was cheery and bright it wasn't Nagehiko's voice.

Nadeshiko.

Rima turned her eyes over to Nagihiko, though now it wasn't Nagihiko. He had pulled his hair up into a high pony tail, leaving a few longer strands down around his face, he had used a purple ponytail holder that he had scrounged up from somewhere within his backpack.

"Now, what are you reading Rima-chan?"

He tilted his head and smiled cutely. Rima blinked at him, trying to remain angry. He looked… pretty like that; if Rima ignored the boy's uniform he wore she could easily place him as a girl. As Nadeshiko.

He was sly.

Rima turned away and buried herself back into the manga, trying to remain angry at Nagihiko. But it was hard when he had transformed himself into Nadeshiko, the one with whom Rima had become friends with.

Though Nagihiko and Nadeshiko were one in the same.

"A gag manga." Rima murmured.

"Gag manga?" Nagihiko, as Nadeshiko, leaned forward, trying to see the title of the manga. "That's comedy right? Is it good?"

Rima was appalled by the questions. This was _gag manga_ they were talking about, and it seemed as if…

"Nagihiko…" Rima was too shocked to care which persona Nagihiko was playing as. She turned slowly, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. "You've never read gag manga?"

"Uh…" Nagihiko twisted his lips into a frown and shifted uncomfortably.

"He doesn't read any manga." Rhythm muttered in disgust.

"'The classic books will culture the youth of this generation.' He only reads classics." Temari added in, eyes closed solemnly.

"That's a crime!" Kusukusu declared, as shocked as Rima.

"My mother would rather I read the classics than manga…" Nagihiko shrugged, his eyes cast about for something to look out other than the shocked faces of Rima and Kusukusu.

"You've never read a gag manga?"

Nagihiko shook his head.

"You have to!" Rima drew herself closer in earnest, trying to capture Nagihiko's roving gaze. "How can you not have read one? There so good! And funny!"

Nagihiko's gaze was drawn in; he was silent, as were Rhythm and Temari, as Rima explained all the reasons to read gag manga. As she talked a little smile tugged at the corners of Nagihiko's lips.

"I can let you borrow some of my manga!" Rima was finally finishing up. "I can be sure you start with some really good ones!"

"I'd like that."

Rima had not been aware how close she had gotten to Nagihiko as she rambled on about gag manga. She was at the edge of her seat, her bare knees touching his pant legs, her hands were drawn up into little fist elbows resting on her knees, leaving her hands only a few inches from his chest. She had leaned forward, breaking her perfect posture and her face was much to close to his for comfort.

He was Nadeshiko, he was Nadeshiko. She repeated the thought over and over in her mind, frozen as she realized how close to him she had gotten. Him… even with his hair pulled up like Nadeshiko it was still quite too obvious that he was a _he._

"Will you give them to me tomorrow?"

The question broke Rima from her jumbled thoughts; she looked up at him, eyes latching with his big golden eyes.

"Ah…" Kusukusu gave her a strange look, and then gave a little chuckle. "O-of course!" Rima retreated, backing quickly away from Nagihiko and repositioning herself into the perfect posture. "Tomorrow is fine."

"I'll be looking forward to it!"

Rima picked back up the forgotten manga and once again tried to find the spot she had left off. "W-why do you want to read it so badly?" Rima tried to regain her composure; he was Nagihiko, though she had forgotten in her excited ramble about gag manga.

"Because I want to know why you like it." Rima's gave flicked back over to his face unintentionally.

"Eh?"

He smiled at her, and tilted his head to the side as he did when Nadeshiko. "We are friends after all!"

Rhythm smirked and winked at Rima.

Rima's mind was sluggish; the comment took her off guard. This was the first person who wanted to understand her love for gag manga. She didn't know how to respond, and she couldn't come up with a sarcastic comment to fling back at Nagihiko.

"Rima-chan!" Yaya rushed up to the table, saving Rima from the awkward moment of not being able to reply back. "I'm _so_ sorry I'm late! But I-" The energetic girl glanced over at Nagihiko and she stopped abruptly. "Eh! Nadeshiko!"

Nagihiko paled, Rima glanced over at him wondering how he would pull this one off.

"Why are you here?" She pointed at Nagihiko, finger shaking. "Why are you in boy's clothes?"

"Wait," Nagihiko raised his hands and offered her a smile. His voice had lost the female quality he had been speaking to Rima with, now it was just his regular Nagihiko voice.. "You got it wrong, it's me Nagihiko."

"B-but…" Her finger raised to his hair, pulled back exactly as Nadeshiko did it.

"It's hot, so I pulled it back."

Rima narrowed her eyes at him. It wasn't hot in the least; it was quite comfortable, especially in the green house.

"Oh," But Yaya wasn't known for her intelligence. She took the lie without a second question. "I see!"

Her grip around Rima's shoulders tightened and she rocked back and forth on her heels. "What's for snack?"

"Go find something." Rima growled.

"Rima-tan is so mean!" But Yaya let go of Rima and skipped toward the food cart sitting near the table, seeing what might be there.

Rima carefully placed the gag manga back into her bag. "Your lies won't work forever."

Nagihiko sighed, pulling the purple tie out of his hair and allowing the indigo locks to fall back down. "I know. Thanks for keeping it a secret though."

Rima pulled out her phone and snapped it open. "It's easier to control you that way."

Nagihiko chuckled nervously.

Rima clicked through her contacts to Amu, how long was she planning to take?

"Don't forget about the manga ok?"

Rima was silent. Yaya rushed back over, begging Nagihiko to make something, she grabbed his arm and dragged him away, leaving Rima once again sitting at the table.

Rima loved gag manga, but she had never met someone who wanted to understand her love for it. What would it be like, to have someone to be able to talk to about her favorite subject?

Rima clicked open the notepad and began to type a reminder for herself.

Even if it was Nagihiko, at least it was someone. The happy feeling warming her heart and fluttering at the pit of her stomach was a nice one, even if she didn't want to admit it. Maybe being friends with Nagihiko wasn't such a bad thing.

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><p><em>Why is Yaya always there? She was in the other three I wrote for this couple as well 0.0 What' s with that?<em>


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